What Can I Do To Stop Bullying?

When my son Jonathan lost his life to suicide there was talk about bullying. My husband and I did not know that he was being bullied. It was only after his death that we were made aware of this situation. 

It seems that victims of bullies are afraid to stand up for themselves. Often times they do not tell anyone because they feel helpless. They feel alone. I wish my son would have confided in us. If he did, he may still be with us today.

There have been several suicides in our area over the past few years due to bullying. When I would hear about the loss of a young life, it saddened me. It broke my heart. I always felt sympathy for the parents who lost their child. It never crossed my mind that one day I would be one of those parents.

When our community would lose a young life to suicide, I watched my children closely. I searched for any signs in my children's behavior that may lead to suicide. As time would pass, my constant vigilance would slowly fade. When the news of another suicide would arise I would watch my children like a hawk once again. The cycle continued. Vigilance followed by complacency. 

Less than three weeks after the death of my son, his brother was in an altercation with another child at school. The other child is known to be a bully. To my understanding, there were words exchanged and it escalated to a physical fight. As of now, the school is trying to sort out what happened. Even though I do not know all the details, it is my belief that whatever the consequence, I will not be satisfied.

The other child told my son that he should kill himself like his brother. 

Our family is still grieving. To hear that someone would make such a rude, insensitive comment infuriates us. It hurts us to know that another one of our children is also a victim of a bully.

The loss of our son, my children's brother, has put us on alert once again on the dangers involved with bullying. Jonathan's death will not be in vain. I am not going to stay silent. I will do everything within my power to try to make a difference. My first step is posting my feelings on my "little" blog. It may not be a big step, but it will not be my last.